Sheral Samons v. Carolyn W. Colvin

MEMORANDUM

Claimant Sheral Samons seeks review of the denial of her application for disability insurance benefits. Samons contends the administrative law judge (“ALJ”) erred in finding her not credible, in giving too little weight to the testimony of her treating and examining physicians, and in finding that she does not suffer from generalized pain syndrome or a severe mental health condition. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we reverse and remand.

1. The ALJ found that Samons lacked credibility and gave three reasons to support the finding: the record suggested that Samons sought mental health treatment to build evidence for her Social Security application rather than to treat her symptoms; Samons misrepresented her work experience;, and Samons’s description of her symptoms was “vague and general.” The record does provide some support for the ALJ’s credibility determination. However, “[t]he purpose for which medical reports are obtained does not provide a legitimate basis for rejecting them,” Lester v. Chater, 81 F.3d 821, 832 (9th Cir.1995), and the record indicates that Samons may have had two call center jobs, which might have accounted for the apparent…